A Home Tour of My 1926 Tudor Revival Cottage

Ready to tour my 1926 Tudor Revival Cottage?

Friends, call me crazy: in the middle of our busy life of parenting, pastoring, and running a design business, we’re building a house. We are excited but will miss this one! 

100-year old house renovation

I truly do love it and have had a blast these last few years re-imagining, renovating, and refitting her for our current family life with two growing boys. So today I want to share a tribute to our 100 year old historic home home. It has held so many happy family memories for us and we’ll soon offer it to a new family the space to build their memories.

Would you like to take a cottage home tour? Well, y’all come on in!

As you do, watch for….

1. The before and after of our historic renovation.

2. Where I shop for each room.

3. How I mix new items and antiques.

4.  What I collect.

From her winding front walk to her arched doorways, from the diamond-pane windows to the sweep of her Tudor Revival roofline, this little gem attracted me from the git-go. It just said “home”. 

Can I remodel a historic home?

Previous owners had updated our 1926 cottage somewhat. At one point it had been decorated in a more formal antique-y style. It has been a delight to bring MY design vision to her interiors. 

Amazing renovations before and after

How do you make a home look rustic?

My approach is a little more fun and funky. I’ve called my style “farmhouse glam” and “rustic refined”, but you know, we’re all transitioning in style all the time. So I’m sure my approach will evolve as the years go by.  But one thing will not change: I will ALWAYS want vintage items, because I always treasure the story behind any piece. 

How do you decorate a historic home?

I can’t help but appreciate the history of anything. This area around the stairs gives me lots of room  for creativity with vintage finds and seasonal displays. And for the family keepsakes that are so important to me–OUR story. 

How do I make a home look vintage?

Nothing formal about our “formal” living room. It’s my signature juxtaposition of vintage and new–painted shiplap and architectural salvage alongside a pale neutral palette, gold metal tables and a muted pattern rug that leans contemporary. Not to mention the faux fur pillows, just to keep things unpredictable.

One of my several collections is church-related pieces. From antique hymnals to this diminutive early 20th century piano. I saw it at an antiques sale downtown and couldn’t get over its tiny size. It has handles on the sides used to carry it to gravesides for funerals.

Vintage home decor 

It was only $80 and I loved it, but I had no idea where I’d put it in my house.  However, when I went home I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So after two hours I went back down to the square–and it was still there! It was meant to be mine. 

I’d searched everywhere for a church attendance and offering board. I saw this one online, but the owner didn’t want to ship it. I kept inquiring (ok, begging) about it.

How do you find antiques?

After months of back and forth, he finally agreed to meet up in a nearby town as he was driving through the area. Don’t tell my mom I met a stranger at a gas station! But I got the board, and it’s is one of my favorite possessions. 

This family room off the kitchen/sitting room is our place to plop and put our feet up on the coffee table. The shutters have been great for privacy without sacrificing the sunlight that’s key to my enjoyment of our rooms. I’m always shuffling around my latest finds from Round Top on the high shelves.

Historic homes with modern interiors

Because so much of our home is neutral, the dark blue dining room offers a dramatic change and it’s so fun to incorporate seasonal colors here. 

How do I decorate my vintage Christmas?

 “Really? Seasonal changes with blue?” Yep, let me show you Christmas. (Psst! See my Christmas home tour here!)

vintage fall decor ideas

…and fall/Thanksgiving!

I didn’t shy away from deep blue walls in my office as well.

 This room for meeting with clients and planning home designs was a delight to pull together.

Interior design before and after

I have to show you the kitchen as it was when we bought the house so you can appreciate where it’s come from.  We opened it up (a lot!) and the style is now open concept and the new/old mix that I love. 

Can you tell that vintage signs are must-haves for me?  One of my favorite features is the old exterior screen door that  became my pantry door–and how it mimics the arched window over the sink.

Kitchen renovation before and after

Now the kitchen is truly the hub of our home. The big island I designed is Check-In Central as the guys come and go. The cushioned chairs nearby in the sitting room are great for visiting with guests while kitchen stuff is going on–and the boys, too, if they sit still long enough. 

The other place everything happens–homework, projects, even meals!–is the breakfast nook. White paint everywhere makes it a blank canvas for all the changes I bring in for seasons and celebrations.

What do you think of the cabinet difference around the sink? It’s invigorating to Mix. Things. Up. And I like the way it ties in with the custom stove vent.

Subway tile is a timeless classic. It’s so clean looking and fresh. And sometimes you can get a different effect by changing the scale, as I did with my oversized white subway backsplash. 

(For my new build, I’m looking at some other new artisan versions of white subway, so stay tuned for a blog soon on some tile choices I’m considering!)

Vintage sports bedroom

For the boys’ bedrooms, which are small, I re-used many of the pieces we had from our previous home. Want to bet whether it was flea market styled, too? Vintage pieces give each room character and a lived-in look.

Repurposing Materials and what can be up cycled

Repurposing wood in some way is a favorite way to bring in the warmth and story that old wood has. I had a carpenter create this custom accent wall made from repurposed materials.   Then I found the perfect secondhand table to go there.

Our master bedroom is large and functions like a secondary hangout spot for us and the boys. (Now if I could just get them to use their own bathroom…) I had the bed made from some old doors (the keyhole is still there!) I change this room up as the fancy strikes. I’ve enjoyed the way these vintage hand mirrors throw the light around– but next week it could be something else!

How to make a modern room look vintage

What you can do with old mantles

I hope you enjoyed the home tour of my Tudor Revival cottage. Thanks for coming by! Leave your comments on my Facebook page!

Yes, I’m busy with my new house–but not too busy to help YOU find ways to love YOUR home! 

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In the meantime, catch other great design tips on my YouTube channel, Real Life Design with Courtney Warren!